April 19, 2026 — Episode #118
In the third installment of their series on middle adulthood, Jerry and Becky Drace, recording on the campus of Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, revisit the physical and cognitive changes of ages 40 to 65 before focusing much of the episode on memory and dementia.
Prompted by a conversation with a physician friend, they walk through the recognized stages of cognitive decline, from no decline through very mild and mild cognitive impairment to the moderate stage, describing symptoms such as forgetting familiar objects, difficulty recalling names, losing track of current events, and trouble managing finances or travel. They share a well-known story about a famous scientist losing his train ticket as a lighthearted illustration, along with personal habits for stimulating memory, such as keeping a small notebook of names and details when meeting new people. Becky emphasizes that adult children may increasingly need to watch for these signs in aging parents and step in to help, even though the changing family member may not recognize or admit the decline. The couple also encourages parents and grandparents to help children memorize scripture, citing verses like Psalm 56:3 and Proverbs 31, and suggests using nightly group texts to share a Bible verse and words of encouragement with grandchildren. They close by recapping a recent Hope for the Home conference in Georgia and previewing further discussion of cognitive decline next week.
Topics discussed:
- Recap of middle adulthood physical and cognitive changes
- Stages of dementia, from no decline through moderate decline
- Recognizing memory-loss symptoms in aging parents
- A famous scientist’s train-ticket story and memory-stimulation tips
- Helping children and grandchildren memorize scripture by text
- Recap of a Hope for the Home conference in Georgia
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